Early this morning 7-foot NBA free agent Greg Oden, once touted as the next great big man before a series of injuries all but derailed his career, was arrested for battery after allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face in a home owned by his mother.

According to a police report, "things got out of hand" during a heated exchange between Oden and a woman who was found with a bloody face on a sofa in Oden's hometown of Indianapolis.

Oden has been charged with two preliminary charges of misdemeanor battery and remains behind bars.

A former All-American at Lawrence North High and Ohio State where he played alongside Memphis Grizzlies point guard, Michael Conley, Jr., Oden was taken by the Portland Trailblazers with the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft ahead of reigning league MVP Kevin Durant.

He's averaged about eight points and six boards in the three seasons he's been able to play and has never logged more than 61 games in a season. He went for 2.9 points and 2.3 boards while playing 23 games for the Miami Heat.